Topic: inlingua

[loverman]

one of the worst schools to work for in thailand is inlingua imo hourly pay rate of 280 baht what a joke and what a crap place to be i should have known better they r exploiting teachers big time during the interview that ***** ******* ******* ***** dos was on about how great it all is doing loads of hours because they r so busy and busy i am especially on weekends for a crap school paying crap wages this school should be avoided mighty ******** wrote an interesting piece a couple of years back about this outfit his advice was steer clear i will be leaving inlingua soon


***** are Mod Edits --- Uncle Che

[tazmanian]

Perhaps the worst bit of PR for them is that somebody as clearly messed up as you got to work there in the first place.

[Notanewbie]

What is your complaint exactly? Ok, the pay is low, for an experienced teacher anyway, but didn't you know the pay scale when you started? It appears you have a personal grip against an individual that works there, you really said nothing of importance. You don't like working there, so what? Did the school lie to you, I'm not talking about putting a bright face on a situation during a job interview, that is to be expected in any industry, I'm talking about out and out lies? Like telling you you get 400 Baht an hour and end up with only 280 when payday rolls around. It is ok to say you don't like working there, but without anything substanial to say you lose all credibility. I have no interest in working for a language school at this part of my life (although I have in years gone by), and really have no first hand information about Inlingua (The second hand info I have heard is that is operates fairly typically for a language school).  If Inlingua was such a crap school, why did you take the job in the first place? To complain that the wage you agreed to take is low is not a legitimate beef against a school. To complain you have a personality conflict with the DOS is not a legitimate complaint either. I'm all for free speech and you can say anything you want, it is up to the reader to decide whether a posting provides any valuable info or not. I say yours does not provide anything. There is nothing in your post that should deter anyone with the type of experience and qualifications that looks for work at these types of wages to avoid Inlingua. There might be some real reasons to avoid the school, but you didn't make the case that there is.

[hero]

Maybe he was having a bad day!

It appears from his post that he still works there too, so it can't be that bad.  Unless of course they "force" him to wok there for crap money

I must admit that I only ever hear good things about Inlingua from my mate there, although it could be a different franchise I guess.  He certainly gets a wee bit more than 280 per hour!

[Notanewbie]

It should also be noted that not all hourly rates are the comparable. Usually in a language school a system of teaching is used and once a teacher learns the system he or she will only spend maybe 25% of the total classroom time in ?out of the classroom? work. So teaching 24 contact hours a week would entail approximately 30 hours of actual ?work.?  On the other hand, many teachers in ?regular? schools and universities have to grade papers, write exams, and so on. Most universities consider two hours of outside work for a professor for every hour in class during a semester therefore 12 hours of teaching is the norm (Total 36 hours of work).

I get about 5 to 7 times as much per hour today as I did when I started at one of the lowest paying language schools when I first started teaching here in the LOS, but that doesn?t mean my actual pay per hour worked as that times as great. I can?t just show up in the classroom and turn to page whatever in headway/interchange/or whatever is being used today, and start the lesson like a language school teacher can. 1000 or 1500 baht an hour sounds good, but if one considers all the ?outside? the classroom work required, it is more like 400 to 750 Baht an hour for each hour actually worked.

So 280 Baht seems like it is on the low side of the scale for teaching by a formula/system by following a textbook pretty much step by step, but it doesn?t seem unreasonable for a newbie, but maybe I am out of touch.  Doing formula or systematic teaching, doing 25 hours of classroom hours is not excessive, so 280 x 25 = 7,000 Baht a week, around 30,000 Baht a month, pretty typical newbie language school teacher salary.

Of course if this is too low, don?t work there and sell your talents on the market and see what you are worth. Last I noticed, slavery is not allowed in Thailand and it has a market-based economy, therefore no one forces you to work in a crap school for below market wages except yourself. Heck, no one forces you to work in Thailand, if you don?t like the wages in schools here, I hear Wal-mart is looking for stock boys in the states, or of course you can go to one of those fancy ?high paying? English teaching gigs in Saudi Arabia or Korea. Or if you think you know more about running a school that all the losers doing so now, give it a shot and start your own school and pull in the riches. Or you can stay where you are doing what you are doing and complain daily for years and years and turn into a bitter old loser that no one can stand to be around (sound familiar to anyone?).

[hero]

]Of course if this is too low, don’t work there and sell your talents on the market and see what you are worth. Last I noticed, slavery is not allowed in Thailand and it has a market-based economy, therefore no one forces you to work in a crap school for below market wages except yourself. Heck, no one forces you to work in Thailand, if you don’t like the wages in schools here, I hear Wal-mart is looking for stock boys in the states, or of course you can go to one of those fancy “high paying” English teaching gigs in Saudi Arabia or Korea. Or if you think you know more about running a school that all the losers doing so now, give it a shot and start your own school and pull in the riches. Or you can stay where you are doing what you are doing and complain daily for years and years and turn into a bitter old loser that no one can stand to be around (sound familiar to anyone?).

very nicely put

[Duckbill]

It should also be noted that not all hourly rates are the comparable. Usually in a language school a system of teaching is used and once a teacher learns the system he or she will only spend maybe 25% of the total classroom time in ?out of the classroom? work. So teaching 24 contact hours a week would entail approximately 30 hours of actual ?work.?  On the other hand, many teachers in ?regular? schools and universities have to grade papers, write exams, and so on. Most universities consider two hours of outside work for a professor for every hour in class during a semester therefore 12 hours of teaching is the norm (Total 36 hours of work).

When I started out in Thailand, I was earning 220 baht per hour at a language school. It was 100 teaching hours per month but I usually got around 120 hours a month so my monthly salary was more than 26,000 per month. After just a couple of months, my class preptime was literally minutes, just the time to glance at the page we were working on and cue up the tape. I was only in the school when I had to be teaching so no early mornings, I worked six days a week but on weekdays I didn't have to start until the late afternoon and was finished by 9pm.

Now, I teach 14 hours per week at a government english program. I earn 30,000 baht per month meaning my hourly salary is more like 550 baht per hour. More than double the other rate but my monthly salary is not much more. For this, I am in the office from 730am until 430 pm, Monday to Friday. I have to prepare lessons, prepare worksheets, create a curriculum, create all of my own materials, create the exams, grade homework and exams, create lesson plans that please my boss and deal with all the politics of a Thai government office. I am not complaining, I love my job, I am teaching what I love to teach and the students are great. But, I must make the point, when I worked at the language school, I had more free time and the salary wasn't much less.

[Notanewbie]

Duckbill

220 was what I started off with as well at a three letter language school starting with an "A." It was OK place to start, I have nothing really bad to say about the school. Funny the people who speak highly of the place have all moved on, those who constantly complain and bad mouth the school are still there 7 or 8 years on. Go figure.

[kayne]

It seems the Inlingua brigade is out in force defending their pathetic school. Let me remind everyone that Inlingua ranks 3rd worst school in the 'worst school/agency to work for' poll, conducted recently. I wonder why that is? Inlingua has been referred to as 'the graveyard' of English teachers. Most teachers at Inlingua are in their 60s and 70s.Teacher turnover every month is extreme{b<c>

[Notanewbie]

kayne

I don't know much about the school myself, and have no desire to work there at this time in my career.  But "bad" can be relative. For me, bad means dishonest. Sure, there are "lower level" schools, without them all of the teachers without degrees in education or MAs/MBAs/Ph.D.s would be out of a job and have to move back home. These days, I wouldn't think of taking a part-time job that didn't pay at least three or four times that amount, but these days I don't think English, I teach at the Uni level, am at the level of two degrees higher than those with a 4 year degree, have published some and have signed a contract with a book publisher in the UK. However, when I first came here, with only a four year degree and no teaching experience, I was happy that there were some lower level schools for me to gain some experience teaching and play a few bills while advancing my education. Not every one can teach at Chula's Ph.D. program for 3,000 an hour or at AIT and pull down western wages. If inlingua is crap, which it could be, tell us why. Ok, everyone knows the wages there are low, so are they at most of these types of language schools. Does the school lie to its teachers? If so, then I will agree it is a crap school and should be avoided. If the school doesn't lie, then I for one can decide for myself whether to take the pay or not. Maybe I look at things "wrong" but that is what happens when one teaches economics (amongst other subjects), one actually knows why wages are what they are:).

[hero]

  I agree, Kayne your post adds very little to the debate. 

I don't work for Inlingua and have never worked for Inlingua.  I did work for a franchise of EF, they also featured high up the "worst agency" list.  The franchise I worked for were fine, paid average corporate rate and paid on time every time.

Inlingua are franchises too, I believe, it would be nice Kayne if you shared with us which franchise you worked for and added a little detail as to why it is "pathetic"

Most teachers at Inlingua are in their 60s and 70s.Teacher turnover every month is extreme{b<c>

Which franchise does this refer to?  If I'm going to avoid Inlingua, I'd like to know which branch to avoid

[Rick_BKK]

I could be wrong, but I don?t think Inlingua are franchises. I believe they are owned by the same person/family who own ECC. However that aside I agree with you completely Hero. If you want to complain about a large chain school like Inlingua, you need to include which branch you are complaining about.

On a side note, I really don?t understand people who take a job then complain about the pay rate. Unless you are a complete idiot you know what the pay rate is before you start, if you don?t like the money just tell them and get something else or have more free time. If you can?t get anything better then that is clearly the market rate for the skills, qualifications and experience you have. So it is a fair rate of pay, the choice is take or leave it but don?t moan about it.

[justateacher]

need to know:

poll conducted recently.

Question: What is the best institute/agency to work for in Thailand? (Voting closed: February 25, 2006, 01:38:40 PM) English Plus? 0 (0%)
ELC? 0 (0%)
ECC? 5 (11.9%)
EF? 1 (2.4%)
Siam Computer? 1 (2.4%)
BFITS? 5 (11.9%)
Nava? 1 (2.4%)
Stamford College? 0 (0%)
Any Institute in Banglamphu? 1 (2.4%)
BITS? 1 (2.4%)
Inlingua? 8 (19%)
Pro Language? 0 (0%)
Berlitz? 0 (0%)
British American? 0 (0%)
Ideal English? 0 (0%)
Media Kids? 0 (0%)
APEC CMMS? 0 (0%)
AUA? 5 (11.9%)
British Council? 14 (33.3%)
?
Total Votes: 28
 

Question: What is the worst institute/agency to work for in Thailand?? (Voting closed: February 25, 2006, 01:39:39 PM) English Plus? 6 (8%)
ELC? 0 (0%)
ECC? 5 (6.7%)
EF? 7 (9.3%)
Siam Computer? 9 (12%)
BFITS? 12 (16%)
Stamford College? 2 (2.7%)
Nava? 1 (1.3%)
Any Institute in Banglamphu? 2 (2.7%)
BITS? 1 (1.3%)
Inlingua? 8 (10.7%)
Pro Language? 1 (1.3%)
Berlitz? 2 (2.7%)
British American? 6 (8%)
Ideal English? 2 (2.7%)
Media Kids? 3 (4%)
APEC CMMS? 3 (4%)
AUA? 4 (5.3%)
British Council? 1 (1.3%)
?
Total Votes: 40

need to know:

additional comments on teflwatch.

Mieder Says:
February 27th, 2006 at 9:33 am
I tend to disagree on the ratings for Inlingua, in fact I have had many students that studied there and their feedback stated that the quality is atrocious and over priced. I have also met some of the teachers and I have also observed their teaching style, to put it bluntly they (some teachers) seem to lack the experience and understanding of how to teach Thai students.

Mieder

justateacher Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation.
March 17th, 2006 at 12:57 pm
Inlingua?s corporate department has been a bit of a rotten apple for a year or two. They hire teahers straight out of Kao San to fill vacancies.

Inlingua got 8 votes for worst school and 8 for best school- weird that is.

Attn Students and teachers alike: steer clear of Inlingua!!!

 

 

[iamraymond]

Loverman,
you are probably the type that sits on his own in a little Thai shop getting drunk on Leo.? You probably pester the girls who work there in horrible Thai and tell anyone who'll listen that they seem to really like you. Guess what you twat, we know you work at Inlingua Chidlom and we know who you are. You are one very sad sad school boy. Enough of your crying, enough of your bullshit, go home you bigot. Don't like me because of my sexual orientation? tough. Take a hike. I am in my late seventies and wear a white shirt to work everyday and proud of it! Got a problem with that? TAKE A HIKE. I don't like you, Inlingua don't like you. I came from Australia many years ago and I love my job I love teaching and I love Inlingua. Got a problem with that too? Take a hike!!!!!!
Nice.. got that off my chest!
See you on Monday!
Raymond

[simplyput]

From my experiences teaching corporate classes for Inlingua it appears that they like to phase people out after a short period of time. Normally in business a sign of a poor performing company is the high staff turnover, clearly this has been the case at Inlingua for a year or two...

[floorpotato]

I worked for Inlingua several years ago. Their management was fair, honest, supportive and paid on time. Having said that, it was quite miserable there. Their classes were set up so that in-house full-time teachers had long days with only a few minutes between classes and very few good materials to pacify the students. There was almost no time to prepare or even take a leak during the work day . If you had the misfortune of teaching roomfulls of screaming, privilaged brats on weekends, nothing short of a stun gun could pacify them. One strange thing about my Inlingua experience. We tend to whine about our employers as if they are always morally and spiritually inferior to teachers. But fellow teachers at my Inligua branch (in a large mall) were the most unfriendly, life-hating, cynical, arrogant bunch of characters I've ever met. They were mostly middle-aged, very intelligent white guys who were so numbed by overwork that basic civility left them long ago. A very special teacher survives at these Inlingua schools and I don't mean that in such a good way. 

[Bangkok Phil]

I had a fairly miserable few months at Inlingua it must be said,  yet they pay on time. They pay what they say they will. And I made some fairly decent friends there. John C is also a man I hold in very high regard.

Inlingua's main problems (at least to me) are firstly there never seemed like enough work to go around (especially among corporate teachers) and this leads to the rather 'nasty, competitive' atmosphere you get at certain branches. It may have changed in the past three years but not from what I've heard.
Secondly Inlingua truly is a business. I think the receptionists (or student advisors as they are probably called) are all on a commission based on the number of students they sign up. And every branch manager has a certain target to reach.

When you have those kind of systems in place, there is seldom any room left for charm.

[airpuka]

Im supposed to start weekend work at inlingua pretty soon and it doesint sound bad at all, and the pay is supposed to move up to 300 baht an hour plus if you work with kids you get an 80 baht bonus every hour which you can claim at the end of the course, it seems like an ok place to work on the weekends but they dont lie to you in any way so i dont think its fair to complain after you agree to their terms

[Bangkok Phil]

Inlingua is not a bad place to work at all if you show yourself to be capable and reliable. I know quite a few teachers that have been there years so they are obviously happy enough.

[floorpotato]

Im supposed to start weekend work at inlingua pretty soon and it doesint sound bad at all, and the pay is supposed to move up to 300 baht an hour plus if you work with kids you get an 80 baht bonus every hour which you can claim at the end of the course, it seems like an ok place to work on the weekends but they dont lie to you in any way so i dont think its fair to complain after you agree to their terms

I was at the Pinklao branch on weekends. The money adds up if you work full Saturdays and Sundays. Good, friendly Thai staff and a very nice woman branch manager a while ago. The private one-on-one classes and older student classes are ok. But the large kiddie classes, those little monsters really make you work for that extra 80 baht per hour, so try to avoid teaching too many of these. There are few good materials to hold their attention and you spend lots of time making sure they don't throw things and run around. As I said in an earlier post, there were some toxic teachers, so just be friendly to all and watch your back if you are in this type of shop. I agree that we shouldn't complain about terms of employment from honest schools like Inlingua, but general whining about other aspects of work is part of human nature and I hope that I'm doing so in a constructive, helpful manner.

[bkkrama]

I've been at inlingua for a while now and find it generally a fine place to work.  Sure there is that occasional bad branch or bizarre head teacher but life's like that. The pay has always been delivered on time and except for a few problems with bonus payments (student didn't finish a class, ergo no bonus) it's ok.  Again, it all depends on what branch you work at.  And as of May 1 a pay rise is in effect.  It is a business and the owner does look at it as a cash cow and wants to keep the milk for his companies.  But the work is steady and the resources are often quite good.  Overwork can be a problem but if you sign a contract you are pretty much stuck doing the stuff they want you to do.  And to the person who commented about John C, absolutely right, he's a good man.

[Hooded_Claw]

Normally in business a sign of a poor performing company is the high staff turnover.

McDonalds Thailand has a high staff turnover. Would you say they perform poorly?

I worked at inlingua, and to be fair they were not quite McDonalds. ECC filled that spot, whilst inlingua was more sort of 'Burger King', with Siam Computer in the 'Chester's Grill' role.

It was OK as TEFLBurger joints go. The pay was 250 an hour then though, so 280 now certainly seems a pretty measly increase! inlingua employed people with sometimes very dubious experience and qualifications. They paid them as little as they could to get people who would mostly show up reasonably sober and wear a tie for work, and the students were unenquiring enough to believe they got their money's worth, I guess. Also, I was fortunately working there before kids swamped adults as ESL students in Thailand.

After about three months there I decided it was time for me to move on. inlingua never made me any promises they didn't keep, and I was never lied to about salaries or hours available. I didn't have any major beefs with them, but anyone looking for more than a few months work looked elsewhere if they had bona fide qualifications and experience, due to poor pay and widely scattered hours.

What you saw was what you got, the front door wasn't locked and I knew the way to the airport!

[candyman]

A school with a dubious reputation. Beware of the paper work required for corporate classes not to mention the sales rep's outrageous requests to "entertain" students rather than teach them something so that the class re-enrolls. They are also extremely slow getting you a copy of your contract and/or a work permit. Inlingua used to be "the" place to be, now it's become "the" place not to be. I had a fairly miserable eleven months at Inlingua it must be said.

[hero]

Beware of the paper work required for corporate classes not to mention the sales rep's outrageous requests to "entertain" students rather than teach them something so that the class re-enrolls.

That's Thailand for you

[Hooded_Claw]

Yeah, how outrageous.